The present invention relates to a continuously operable or operating centrifuge, especially to a sugar centrifuge having a vertical drive shaft extending through the bottom of the drum upwardly and further having a drive motor arranged laterally adjacent to the entire centrifuge, whereby the drum is surrounded by a housing providing separate collecting chambers for the flow-off liquid, as well as for the wash liquor and a further separate chamber for the solid components arranged between an inner housing and an outer housing.
Prior art centrifuges of this type are available in different embodiments and are constructed in several sizes, depending upon the throughput capacity per unit of time. Such centrifuges comprise a housing which is rigidly connected to a drum supporting base plate, whereby separation walls in the housing provide separate collection chambers for the flow-off liquid as well as for the so called wash liquor, and for the solid components. The drum supporting base plate and the housing connected to the base plate are supported on the floor by spring means, thus forming a unit which may vibrate as an integral structure.
The construction of such centrifuges causes substantial problems especially where large dimensions must be accommodated for achieving large throughput capacities. In this connection the mass of the vibrating system increases corresponding to the increasing dimension of the centrifuge. The mass increase is caused to a substantial extent by the stiffening means for the housing which are necessary to avoid resonance oscillations and shimmying, which might otherwise occur as a result of said vibrating movements.
Further, the lateral arrangement of the drive motor requires cost increasing structural features, especially as the dimension of the centrifuge increases, because a rather stable or sturdy supporting structure for the motor is necessary.